Boost Your Brand: How To Make Instagram Content That Goes Viral

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Guest post written by

Amra and Elma Beganovich

Amra and Elma Beganovich, sisters and social media mavens, left their 9-to-5 jobs to build Club Fashionista and Amra & Elma.

Photo courtesy of @clubfashionista/Instagram

Social media has quickly become an essential factor in building a personal brand or business, and more and more companies are finding success through Instagram. This platform is somewhat tricky to maneuver, but once you start gaining traction there, your visibility will skyrocket.

It’s not enough to simply post – savvy Instagram users know when to post, what to post, how to connect with other users and how to utilize these platforms to gain followers and eventually monetize.

Between the two of us, we have more than 1.2 million followers on Instagram. Here are our tips for expanding and maintaining your brand through strategic Instagram tactics.

1. Know what to post (and what not to post).

When posting on your various social media accounts, it’s important to keep your target demographic in mind. Someone that clicks on your page develops an instantaneous impression of you who are at the first glance, so presenting yourself and your business appropriately is crucial. Your posts should not only maintain a sense of professionalism, but also contain high-res, high-quality images. The majority of users are looking at your page through their phones, so any lag in quality (e.g., de-pixilated photos or dark photos where the viewer has to squint to see what’s there) will be immediately apparent and a huge turnoff.

It’s also important to remember that not every post needs to be original content — as long as you apply your unique perspective. Finance professionals, for example, could post quotes from industry leaders, breaking news stories, etc., including your thoughts or opinions in the captions. It’s a tremendous opportunity to show-off to your demographic your insight, knowledge and relevance in the industry.

2. Use tags.

There are a number of great business, finance, technology, travel and lifestyle accounts, which are looking to create a community of followers through their content. These accounts rely heavily on user created content rather than original content, creating an opportunity for you to be featured, and thus gain new followers. It's another way to open yourself up to an entire community of new followers that you may not have been able to reach before.

3. Comment and engage with potential followers.

Engaging and interacting with your target market is just as important as gaining their views or likes. For example, if you are in technology, try going to the accounts for companies like Apple, Microsoft, Google, etc. and engage with users who are interacting with those pages. Go to their profiles and like their posts, repost them or leave comments. Additionally, sincere and thoughtful commenting goes a long way and are almost guaranteed to secure you a follow in return.

4. Give shout outs.

Collaborations with other accounts are an extremely important factor in growing your own account. Do your research to find accounts similar to yours and propose an exchange of content. Ask that they credit you for the image or post and that they tell their community to follow you, and you do the same for them. These shared “shout outs” have continually proven highly effective for us, allowing us to reach millions of new followers.

In the beginning, you will often be expected to offer your unique content free of charge. Don’t let this discourage you; the exposure and access to a larger audience is just as valuable to your business or personal brand.

Photo courtesy of @clubfashionista/Instagram

5. Produce quality content.

Lackluster images or posts are not worth sharing and will turn off your audience. This is why it’s critical to invest time and energy into the quality of your content. Sometimes this may require extensive research, editing and planning – but in the long run, it’s worth it. For instance, with today’s technology, you don’t have to be a Photoshop-pro to have noteworthy images; there are quick and easy photo editing applications like VSCO, Darkroom and Faded.

Taking the time to ensure that you’re sharing only top notch, visually pleasing content is what will grow and maintain your audience.

6. Incorporate lifestyle shots.

Diversity within your account is important, regardless of your industry. Repetitive content is tiring and boring to you viewer over time. Your photos should be varied, and you shouldn’t be afraid of slipping in a few lifestyle posts here and there.

What does your demographic’s life looks like outside of their professions? What are their common interests and hobbies? Posting an image from the golf course, for example, creates a sense of humanity and personality to your account so that your followers are able to relate on a deeper level.

7. Hire help.

Delegate, delegate, delegate. Although it may be difficult to let go off the reigns, knowing when to take a step back is essential to growing your business. If you are finding yourself too overwhelmed to manage your content yourself, hire an intern who can take this on for you. For instance, our first set of hires we found through Craig’s List – they were interns, largely English majors and fresh out of college, who were looking to strengthen their writing portfolio and just to get noticed by brands and editors through our sizable social media following. Hiring and training interns and employees will assist you in stepping into this role, and is beneficial to both parties.

8. Be original.

While it’s incredibly tempting to post content that appeals to everyone, this ultimately is not possible. The digital universe is so over-saturated, so it’s important to project a unique and specific voice. Be truthful and unique in your perspective, and your audience will follow.

Photo courtesy of @elmabeganovich/Instagram

9. Show your audience "behind the scenes" via InstaStories.

Utilize the InstaStories as an enhancement to your feed to showcase elements of your lifestyle and personality beyond what is visible on your photo grid. This is a great way to show case your personality, e.g., a sense of humor or your wittiness, which otherwise would not be evident through imagery. Viewers always like getting an “exclusive” insight into your daily life, especially when traveling or attending sporting events, where you can take them behind the scenes and make them feel like they were there right along your side.

10. Motivate through video.

InstaStories are also a great tool to share your advice and inspire your audience. For instance, hand over the phone to a friend or coworker and have him/her film you while going about your daily routine. This could include guiding your viewers through a coding tutorial, or taking them along with you on your run or trying a new easy and healthy recipe.